Less is More: Coffee Dosing and the Espresso Machine

Wow!  Dosage can drastically change how espresso tastes.  While not groundbreaking for some, tasting the results, i.e. the shot in the espresso, made me a believer in buying a scale in the future.  As of right now, I do not know how much coffee I am using for my double shots.  Is there 18 grams or 30 grams in my portafilter?  Many coffee bloggers, baristas, and coffee redditors propound the virtues of a scale in achieving consistency in espresso shots.  I believe it now.  When I used less coffee, I tasted a full body, pear notes, acidic tingling (good thing), and a bittersweet chocolate finish (I started this post, when I had the Archer Farms coffee, not the Illy).  All of this on my 150 dollar espresso machine, the Lello Ariete.   

Before, I "overstuffed" the portafilter and it would have a nasty habit about once every month to be choked and spit out espresso where the portafilter and the O-ring meets.  Even when it didn't "choke," the coffee seemed more bitter.  I realize the choking can be contributed to fineness of the grind, but when I lowered the dosage at the same grind, the Lello Ariete pulled a shot with no difficulty, and it tasted surprisingly better.  One additional benefit of lowering the coffee dosage, is that it is easier to tamp levelly.  Perhaps, this only happens for me, but this could be a factor for the better espresso extraction due to the flatter and more level surface of the coffee in the portafilter.  

What do you think?  Have you consistently used the same amount of coffee in your espresso or other coffee beverages?  Do you measure by weight or volume? (grams vs. tablespoons)  Is it worth the hassle?

Is Illy Coffee Overhyped and Overpriced?

Before I influence you with my impressions of Illy, what is your opinion?  Is is priced reasonably in relation to quality?  What does it taste like?  How does the dark roast differ?  Post a comment now before reading any further.  (Technically, I have already biased you with my title.)

Two days ago, I broke down and purchased some Illy coffee.  Seduced by the premium price, fancy packaging a la tin can, and the curiosity of what I might be missing, I plopped my hard earned cash on the iconic red can.  Thankfully, the supermarket placed Illy on sale for two dollars less than normal!  Coming to 12.99 for 8.8oz of whole bean, medium roasted Illy coffee.

A pretty penny to be sure. 

Impressions:

Naturally, I am a big fan of fancy, intriguing packaging.  The reflective, circle tin can along with the simple Illy logo appeals to my appreciation for aesthetics.  Yet, a fantastic taste is what turns a first time customer to a return customer.  (We hope!)  After removing the metal seal, pouring the beans into the grinder, and firing up the espresso machine, I tasted the vaunted Illy brand.  What did I think?

It was a deflating "decent."  Perhaps, my expectations exceeded what I secretly knew.  No roast date, the coffee is being sold at a supermarket, and Italian coffee generally has a reputation for solid but simple tasting coffee.  In conjunction with the elevated price and only receiving 8.8oz of coffee it's difficult to justify buying it every week.   With that said, the espresso embodied a smooth and moderately bright taste which is quite pleasant, but leaves a small, but noticeable, ashy aftertaste.

I found Archer Farms' Peru San Ignacio a superior supermarket coffee, which at 4-5 dollars cheaper and more flavorful than Illy, would be my choice between the two.  Am I being too harsh?  Is my coffee palette not refined to marshal out the nuanced flavors of Illy?  Sound off in the comments section.  

Most Extensive Moka Pot/Stovetop Espresso Maker Guide on the Internet: Part Two

Welcome back to the "Most Extensive Moka Pot/Stovetop Espresso Maker Guide on the Internet."  In this post, I will discuss different tips for how to clean your Moka pot and include a section of links for further information about Moka pots.  If you haven't read Part One, please click here, it will detail what is a Moka pot and tips on brewing with it. 

Cleaning:
First and foremost, soap is generally a "no-no."  Soap adds chemicals that can possibly alter the taste of your coffee in the future.  If you must add soap, add the slightest, most imperceptible amount on a paper towel or rag, and thoroughly rinse the pot out after wiping it down.

Run warm water over, but do not wipe w/ rag on the inside.  Remember the coffee oils!

After every use:  Empty the spent grounds from the coffee basket, wash out the base, and run water over the collecting chamber.  Dry everything with a rag, but do not wipe the inside the collecting chamber in order to keep those precious coffee oils. Let the three pieces dry separately.  This will avoid having a dank, odorous smell later.  After an hour, everything should be dried enough to assemble it back together.

After two-three weeks: Time to disassemble and wipe everything down, including the coffee oils that we have tried to so hard to cultivate.  Sometimes they just need to go.  They're probably getting a little stale.  Additionally, the whole pot needs a good once over.  This cleaning includes popping off the O-ring and the metal filter.  Take a blunt, flat knife, slowly working it under the O-ring, while trying to carefully not to damage it.  Use a lifting motion to pop it off.  Remove the metal filter.  It should come off right away as the O-ring was the only piece keeping it in place.

Flat, blunt knife, not a sharp one.  It could damage the O-ring!

The bottom of the collecting chamber w/o the O-ring and filter.

Now that everything is disassembled. Use a paper towel and wipe every inch of the pot.  I advocate using a paper towel than a rag.  A paper towel seems to absorb more coffee oils and "grime."  Additionally, you can see how dirty the Moka pot really was!  The only tricky part is getting the paper towel inside the spout of the Moka pot.  I use a small pencil or thermometer and wrap the paper towel around it, then inserting it into the grimy, small space.  Like so:

Insert Immature Comment

That is from just one week of moderate use. 

Two more cleaning ideas:  One can use the Moka pot as normal but not add coffee.  Thus as the water boils and the steam pushes the water upwards its helps remove some of the rancid coffee oils.  The second idea, and I haven't done this, but instead of using water in the above methods, use vinegar.  I would recommend a highly diluted concoction!  

That's it! If you have any other cleaning tips, email me at duderino102*at*gmail.com

Select links to articles and videos:

James Hoffman's Moka Pot Guide: Point of note: He states that one should not use cold water.  Instead, he argues that one should begin with hot water and then screw on the top chamber.

Coffee Nate's Moka Pot Guide:  Quite informative, especially his advice of boiling water and to dilute the strength of the straight Moka pot coffee.  It resembles a quasi-Americano(espresso with hot water).  Where Coffee Nate and I differ is that he makes a small mound of coffee after the hopper is full.  You can try this out, but I am generally against doing this as it can slow down the brewing process and can over-extract the coffee making it bitter. 

A Short History of the Moka Pot: Aluminum, Coffee, and Fascism: A fascinating history about the relationship between the Moka pot, Italian history, and modernity.  Check it out, you might learn something!

What not to do video: This moka pot was way over-packed and over-extracted.  Despite the aesthetically pleasing "crema," I bet a dollar that it tasted quite bitter.  Notice the loud hiss?  That is the pressure release valve going crazy!  The user ground the coffee too finely. *tsk tsk*

Bialetti's Replacement Parts Store:  When the filter and O-ring need to be replaced.  Be sure to check that you are buying the right parts for the correct version and size of your Moka pot.

There are plenty of other articles and videos on cleaning, brewing, and general information on Moka pot coffee, but I find that there advice is spotty at best.  While sites like ehow.com and ezinearticles.com are somewhat helpful, they can lead you astray on tips for size coffee grind and how to clean the pot.  If you stick with this guide and the links provided you should get most of what you need.  But, if you need more, post on some coffee forums.  There you will get a more thorough explanation of things rather than general, bland info.

Free Coffee Cupping At Counter Culture Coffee in Adams Morgan

Every Friday in February from 10 till noon, Counter Culture Coffee in Adams Morgan is offering free coffee cupping to the public.  What is coffee cupping you ask?  "Cupping" is a process in which you evaluate and compare different coffees in one setting.  Admittedly, I have not cupped coffee, but this is a great opportunity for coffee lovers in the DC area to get into coffee culture and build a community through active discussion about coffee!  For more information on coffee cupping, see the video below and Coffee Geek's guide on coffee cupping.  Also, here is CCC's DC website.

The Counter Culture Coffee Training Center is located at 1840 Columbia Road NW.


 

The Most Extensive Moka Pot/Stovetop Espresso Guide on the Internet

Source: Me! 

The purpose of this guide, besides making unattainable hyperbolic statements, is to touch on many aspects of making Moka pot coffee.  This post is broken into four parts: Introduction, Brewing/Tips, Cleaning, and More Information. I spent considerable time writing these set of posts so please leisurely read through them reflecting upon each section.  It will be broken into 3 posts over roughly seven days.  Please leave a thoughtful comment, if you have any questions, critiques, or revisions I should make.  Without further ado, here is the first part of the "Most Extensive Moka Pot/Stovetop Espresso Guide on the Internet."

Introduction:  First, one point on nomenclature.  When I refer to a Moka pot, stovetop espresso maker, or coffee percolator, I am referring to Bialetti's Moka pot, the most popular manifestation.  While there are other products that use the same principle of steam to make coffee on a stove, most people have some version made by Bialetti.  

The 5 parts of the Moka pot

How does a stovetop espresso maker work?  It is composed of roughly three components: the base with a pressure valve which holds the water; the basket which holds the coffee; and the "collecting chamber" which the coffee brews into.  Additionally, there is  the metal filter and the "O" ring which ensures a good seal for the pressure to build and that the coffee grinds don't infiltrate your end product.  The Moka pot creates stream by boiling water in the base that pushes water into the coffee hopper.  Then, the water comes into contact with coffee, brewing, and then goes through the filter above the hopper, and into the collecting chamber.  The whole process from heating the water to drinking the coffee is about 5-10 minutes.


I will focus on the "3 cup" Moka pot which I own as the basis for this guide.  Remember, the designation of "3 cups" means three small espresso cups resulting in ~6-7 oz of liquid in total.  It does not make 3 American-sized cups of coffee.  If you want 3 large cups of coffee, the Moka pot is not for you, unless you buy the 12 cup Moka pot, which makes 25 oz of coffee. For a breakdown of all the different sizes of the Moka pots, look here.

Unfortunately, I must disabuse you of the notion that the Moka pot makes espresso.  It does not.  Let me repeat that.  Stovetop espresso makers do not make espresso.  They make strong coffee.  Let me explain why.  Espresso is brewed using around 9-10 bars of pressure.  The Moka pot is capable of around 1.5 bars of pressure.  This amounts to a difference in consistency, taste, and appearance, principally the lack of "real" crema you would see on good espresso.  Additionally, the temperatures involved are different.  Since Moka pots rely on steam to push water up, it requires the water to reach boiling, 212 Fahrenheit.  Espresso machines, ideally, keep the water temperature around 202-5 Fahrenheit.  What is the difference you may ask?  Boiling water can burn the coffee damaging the delicate flavors of the coffee you just spent 20 dollars on.  A rule of thumb for most coffee preparations generally advise to never allow boiling water touch coffee.  Technically this is true for the Moka pot as the steam pushes non-boiling water into the coffee grounds (I think), but nevertheless a higher temperature is involved than in making traditional espresso.  While espresso machines and Moka pots use pressure, the difference in pressure produced is significant.

Stainless Steel

Aluminum

If that wasn't complicated enough, there are two different versions of the Moka pot (besides the different sizes): aluminum and stainless steel.  The aluminum version is the first Moka pot made by Bialetti and appears to be the most popular version, probably due to tradition, modern aesthetics, and the cheaper price.  Unfortunately, there is one large issue with the aluminum version.  Aluminum can impart a "metallicy," bitter taste to the coffee.  To counter this, people "season" their pots by allowing a film of coffee oil cover the top chamber by not thoroughly washing it.  I will address this later, but its an important issue to remember.  The stainless steel Moka pot generally does not impart the aforementioned metallic taste. [Source for the two pictures is Bialetti's website]

In addition to the aluminum and stainless steel Moka pots, Bialetti makes one's that steams milk and brew coffee resulting in a cappuccino, and ones that are electric. If that wasn't enough, other companies like Bellman have ones with steam wands!

Brewing Steps and Tips:
First, let me walk you through how to brew with the Moka pot.  At each step, I will introduce some helpful tips and hints to improve the end product.  If you want a quick "how to," search James Hoffman's video on the Moka pot, and watch it.

0.  Quickly wash out the base part with tap water and wet the the metal filter and O ring on the collecting chamber.  I think it helps reduce the "metallicy" taste, especially if the Moka pot has been sitting for a few days with use.

1.  Pour water into the base stopping where the pressure valve is.  Any more and the water will prematurely contact the coffee grounds.

At this point, there are two "schools of thought."  The first school of thought is to use cold water.  The reasoning is more of habit than anything else.  Reconsidering this reasoning, it really is not a "school," but that of uncritical thinking.  The second school of thought is to boil the water in a teapot and pour this into the base.  In doing so, this prevents the the stove from heating the whole Moka pot to an unpleasant temperature for the coffee which might cause it to burn.  I'd recommend this method.

Be sure to use quality water!  Water right out of the tap is drinkable, but it can also introduce unwanted tastes into your coffee.  I suggest using a water filter to minimize the introduction of foreign elements into your perfect brew.  Consider using a Brita filter or the like

2.  Grind the coffee.  Try to ensure an even distribution and flat surface.  The hopper must be filled completely for the Moka pot to function properly.  If it isn't, wonky things will happen...

Like so!

This is sticking point for me.  I have read and heard that the grind for Moka pot coffee should be just above an espresso setting on your grinder.  They have forgotten that we are making strong coffee not espresso.  From my experiences, a medium grind has produced the best results avoiding the bitter, over-extracted coffee that plagues the Moka.  If you want to experiment with different grind settings, please do!  I have found that the finer one goes, the more bitter the coffee tastes.     

3.  Screw on the top chamber with a dry towel (if using hot water).  Make sure it is tight enough as the coffee can seep out where the base and the top chamber meet.  Turn the stove to low-medium heat.  On my gas stove, I ensure that the flame isn't touching the pot.  Don't want it to burn or melt.

4.  After a few minutes, the coffee will begin to come out of the spout in the upper chamber.  After about half the chamber is filled, I cut the heat and remove the pot from the stove.  I try to limit the watery end of the brew from diluting the quality coffee brewed in the beginning.  However you do it, please do not leave the Moka pot unattended!  This could lead melting, but more importantly the more the coffee is heated after brewing the bitter it gets.

5.  Pour the coffee into your favorite coffee receptacle.

6.  Before drinking, quickly run water over the collecting chamber to prevent coffee oils globbing all over the aluminum.  By doing so, this ensures a nice uniform oily film to prevent a "metallicy" taste in future brews and doesn't allow the pot to get too dirty and gross.  Proper "seasoning" of the pot should look something like this:

A "Seasoned" Moka pot: Notice the light and even coffee oils.  Any thicker it may be time to clean it.

End of Part One.  Please come back in a few days for Part Two: "Cleaning the Moka pot."  I hope you enjoyed reading it, if there are any errors on the science of it, please comment below, or if you simply want to leave a pleasing message.  For Part Two, click here.

Best,
Jack